Melodramatic Stock Characters

28/02/17

In my first drama class after the rotation, we had an introduction to melodrama. Melodrama is a type of dramatic piece that has exaggerated characters and lots of expressions. Features of different characters stand out so it is easy to differentiate between characters. Here, I will analyse and describe 3 of my pictures that I have taken of different character poses in a melodramatic way.

1. The Villain

In this picture of me posing as a melodramatic villain, I have my head tilted downwards which makes my eyebrows slant, a facial feature which signifies anger and evil in a person. My eyes are cross-eyed which shows that I am focusing on something very close and it also makes my face look creepy because cross-eyes are not commonly seen. On my face is a smirk which associates with evil plans or intentions and a smug personality. My body is leaned forward as well as one of my legs taking a step forward as if I am slowly moving closer and closer to the viewer. My left hand is brushing back my hair to reveal my evil face and my right hand is pushing me onwards.

I chose this stormy filter to represent the villain's dark and diabolical personality and because evil is automatically associated with thunderous and rainy weather.

2. The Hero

Here, I am posing as a melodramatic hero. My chin is held high in order to show a sense of pride. I am not smirking as I do not want to create the image of a villain, which is opposite in character to the hero. I am lifting my left arm up to show off my "muscles" in order to appear strong and manly. My legs are spread out to form a pride stance.

I chose this filter as heroes are commonly associated with cartoons and this makes me look like a cartoon character due to all the bright colours and bold outlines.

3. The "Damsel in Distress" 

This is a picture of me posing as a damsel in distress. I look innocent and in need of help as my puppy-dog eyes are looking into the distance as if I need a hero to save me. My hand is reaching out as if I need to catch something or reach out for a hero. My hand is on my heart as if I am in danger and injured. My body language makes me appear scared because of my shut legs which are slighlty bent.

I chose this floral filter because the light colour pink is often associated with girls, young women and innocence. The petals make the whole picture more feminine and the damsel is often beautiful, so I chose the petals because flowers are often associated with beauty.